Sport, Business and Charity Together

Avoca Hockey Club in South Dublin, its commercial sponsor Enva and the children’s hospice Laura Lynn have signed a 10 year three way partnership agreement. The deal will see Laura Lyn branding on all Avoca playing kit and leisure wear, regular donations from Enva and fundraising through the club for the charity.

The deal is significant in the length of its duration and also in terms of the value placed on goodwill rather than branding by the company.

Enva is a waste and environment management company with four licensed facilities throughout Ireland, and a fleet of collection vehicles to cater for 5,000 customers from government agencies to sole traders. It will also carry the Laura Lyn branding on its fleet and has committed to raising awareness of the charity and its work across its entire customer base.

The company will make a financial contribution to both Avoca Hockey Club and Laura Lyn for the duration of the agreement.

Charity partnerships ought to be seen as an important extension of a clubs ethos and branding. It can be an important statement of how a club sees itself, might be important in attracting juvenile players in a competitive sporting environment and will be an important element in attracting other partners who might make a contribution to be associated with a club that has ‘done the right thing’.

Avoca has 475 playing members, many of whom are also involved in other past times and sports and this partnership will be an important part of making it ‘more than just a club’. It will undertake at least one major fundraising drive each year for Laura Lyn whose main national facility for the care of terminally ill children is located less then 2 kilometres from the club base.

“This partnership with Enva and Avoca will not only bring much needed financial support,” said Audrey Jones of Laura Lyn, “it will help promote LauraLynn and our services nationally”

“Like many other businesses in this country, Enva had to adapt to meet the challenges and demands of intense economic pressure in recent years. Instead of focusing on the many problems and obstacles during this period; Enva responded by looking a ways and means of making our company more efficient, creative, and positive, all of which were thankfully embraced on a company- wide basis.
“Supporting the work of organisations such as LauraLynn, and being able to combine this with our continued backing of Avoca Hockey club is a unique partnership for the benefit of all and we are pleased to play our part”.“Having faced the economic challenges of recent years, and come through as a strong and forward-looking business, we are now in a position to help enhance our commitment to society by giving something back,” said Declan Ryan, managing director of Enva.

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